Marley's "One Love" tops Jamaica's best song list

Reuters Staff

3 Min Read

KINGSTON (Reuters) - Reggae legend Bob Marley’s “One Love” topped a list of Jamaica’s 100 best songs over 50 years that was unveiled on Tuesday by a panel of musicians and cultural officials associated with the University of the West Indies.

A man sits by a mural of Jamaican reggae master Bob Marley in Kingston July 12, 2001. REUTERS/Kimberly White

Marley, whose mastery of reggae made him an international superstar, had nine selections in the top 100 and two in the top 10, with “Simmer Down” landing at No. 9. His popular “No Woman No Cry” was picked No. 12 and “Redemption Song” No. 14.

“One Love” recorded the highest score, 726 points, well ahead of the 540 points given to the second placed song, “O Carolina,” which was originally recorded by the Folkes Brothers and redone by internationally acclaimed artist Shaggy.

The university’s department of government said it has received a mixed response to the list, which it expected. Many critics have said more songs from the last decade should have been included among the records released from 1957 to 2007.

“People have said to me that they wanted more of the deejay and dancehall songs included, but like in everything else, you can’t please everybody,” Wayne Chen told a university symposium announcing the list.

“I would have loved to see some more dub music, because I am a fan of dub, but that did not happen,” he said.

The panel was headed by former Finance and Planning Minister Omar Davies and included businessman Chen, musicologist Vaughn “Bunny” Goodison, Frankie Campbell, who heads the popular Fab Five band, broadcaster Francois St. Juste, journalist Basil Walters, and musician Sly Dunbar of the band Sly and Robbie fame. A limited number of members of the public were also allowed to vote.